Building customer loyalty can be a challenge when getting a new business off the ground. The secret is to get to know your customers, find a way to relate to them and exceed their expectations at every turn. This will create positive word-of-mouth, and bring in more business for you. Here are some tips to generate customer loyalty for your business.
Communicate
The things you say and the way you say them will have a major impact on customer loyalty; for best results, focus on building relationships rather than trying to make sales. Don’t be afraid to share a few details about who you are and where you come from, as this will make it easier for people to relate to you. Adding regular, valuable content to your website will help establish you as an expert in your industry, and getting active on social media will open a line of communication with your target audience.
Offer something for free
People LOVE free stuff, especially if it is something worthwhile, making this a smart way to turn a few heads and encourage customer loyalty. Offering free information and advice is a great way to encourage return business, and giving away sample products or services will create plenty of positive buzz.
Provide great customer service
Quality customer service can propel a business, so make it a priority. Train your staff to provide quality customer service, and empower them to deal with problems quickly. Ensure you have a clear and accessible system for receiving customer feedback and make a point of responding to any comments you get as soon as possible. Saleforces’ Desk app can systemise and scale customer support for example. You can have your email and social media inquiries all going into the same queue to be managed by your team.
Create worthwhile incentives
Leave no doubt that you value your loyal customers by rewarding them with generous discounts and specials. Creating a member based program that is fun, free and offers worthwhile incentives is also guaranteed to help. This is also a great way to make members share their offers with their friends on social media or email. This helps you attract new customers with a word of mouth referral.
Embrace intuitive tools and processes
Show that you care about your customers by making everything from your sales transactions to your website as user friendly as possible. Whether you make it easy for people to book their own appointments online or you invest in mobile POS devices for your store, your customer friendly efforts are sure to keep people coming back.
Keep your word
If you want your business to succeed it is vital that you always keep your word. Follow your warranties and service policies to the letter and ensure that your products and services more than live up to your claims
Your customers are your biggest asset, so make sure you make them appreciated at every step.
About the author:
Jo Sabin is the Head of Community at DesignCrowd.com.au, a logo, web and graphic design marketplace.
